For centuries, and all across the globe, people have been picking up a needle and thread to “make do and mend” and fix what is fixable. Simply using a needle and thread and your own two hands, patching is an accessible, creative, and satisfying craft that allows you to keep your favorite items wearable while also adding a personal creative touch. In this free workshop we will find the joy of repair together and gather around the table to learn the basics of mending and collaborate to fix some of your favorite torn clothing. Come join us and stitch your clothes back to stability!

Bring your own clothing to fix and any yarn, fabric, or materials you’d like to use or
share. We will provide the rest!

Elena is a senior at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.  For her Senior Project, she is biking from Burlington, VT to to Bar Harbor, ME, and along the way she will stop in different towns to offer workshops on mending, textile repair, and re-use to the local communities. 

From Elena - "Since I was a child I have loved sewing and fabric crafts and I began working with a mentor to learn these skills when I was 11. As I have gotten older and connected this craft with other values I have learned about mending, darning, patching, and the importance and creative opportunity of repair and re-use. At COA I have been running a club called Mending Matters for the past 3 years and this has been a fun way to share this knowledge with other folks, try out new skills myself, and work within the community to create solutions, share joyful space, and keep perfectly good textiles out of the waste stream."

Follow Elena on Instagram @ramblingrepair.